Starting in the Basement

Frenchie and I made something healthy!  It only happens about twice a year and despite numerous protests from Frenchie, it happened again last night.  Lasagna is a notoriously unhealthy casserole but substitute the meat with lots of healthy veggies, lighten up the cheese and you still have a delicious comfort food.

I adapted loosely from the Barefoot Contessa Turkey Lasagna so you could definitely add meat.  Frenchie and I compromised by having an antipasto plate while the lasagna cooked of amazing cold cuts from Russo’s, cheese and an olive tapenade brought back from France.  We do not starve in this house.

Meatless Saturday Vegetable Lasagna

• 1 medium eggplant
• 2 zucchini squash, 1 sliced, 1 diced
• 1 green pepper, diced
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 14.5 ounce canned diced tomatoes*
• 1 cup diced fresh tomatoes*
• 6 ounce can tomato paste
• Fresh or dried herbs**
• 6 lasagna noodles (not no-boil)
• 12 ounce container of ricotta
• 3 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
• 1 large egg
• 3/4 cup parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup grated mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 400

Slice eggplant in 1/2 inch slices.  Sprinkle slices with salt and let sit while oven preheats.  Dab with paper towel and drizzle with olive oil before putting in the oven.  Roast eggplant for about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, boil water for the pasta noodles.  Add salt and some oil to keep the noodles from sticking.  Boil noodles about 6 minutes or until softer but still very firm.  Lay noodles flat on aluminum foil while you prepare the sauce.

Slice one zucchini into 1/2 inch slices and add salt and pepper.  Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet oven medium-high heat.  Once oil is very hot fry the zucchini slices until browned on both sides.  Remove to a paper towel lined plate.

Add another tablespoon olive oil to skillet and add onions.  Cook on medium heat until translucent.  Add green peppers and diced zucchini and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.  Have tomatoes ready to go.  Add garlic and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Add all the tomatoes, herbs, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and stir.   Cover and cook about 15 minutes until tomatoes are cooked and sauce is slightly thick.  Taste sauce and add more seasoning if needed.

Mix together ricotta, goat cheese, egg, 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

Assemble lasagna.  Poor 1/3 of sauce into the bottom of a 9x12x2 inch baking dish.  Add noodles, then 1/2 ricotta mixture, sprinkle with mozzarella, add half the eggplants and zucchini slices, sauce, then 3 more noodles.  Repeat with remaining ricotta mixture, mozzarella, eggplants and zucchini and the rest of the sauce.  Sprinkle top with remaining 1/4 cup parmesan cheese.  Bake for 30 minutes or until sauce is bubbly.

*If you do not have fresh tomatoes you could use a 28 ounce can of crushed or diced tomatoes.  We just needed to use up some fresh tomatoes!

** We added 2 teaspoons fresh basil and about 1 tablespoon mixed italian herbs.  You could add any type of fresh italian herb you have on hand or all dried italian herbs.

Nutrition Facts for 6 servings – 400 calories, 21 grams fat, 5.6 grams fiber! You could lighten this further by using non fat ricotta or fat free cottage cheese.